Monday, February 15, 2010

Here is what we are eating around here this week. Have a great week! For menu plan inspiration galore check out Menu Plan Monday hosted by OrgJunkie. I always find several new recipe to add to my want to try out list.

Sunday: YOYO- You're on your own! Leftover buffet

Monday: Crockpot corn chowder- for the 4th week in a row this recipe has been pushed forward- but no more! I actually have it going in the crock pot!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

This is one of my favorite Crock pot recipes ever. Any time that I am at Costco, I will grab a Rotisserie chicken so I can make this recipe. For my non-spicy friends, you can adjust the heat in this recipe- just use mild salsa. Try it, you will like it!

Crock Pot Tortilla Soup

1 clove garlic, minced

3 cups cooked and shredded chicken

4 cups chicken broth

2 cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 Tbsp ground cumin

Toppings:

Cubed Monterrey Jack cheese

Tortilla Chips

Sour Cream

Add all ingredients to Crock pot except toppings. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. When serving, place desired amount of cheese in bottom of bowl and ladle soup on top. Sprinkle with tortilla chips and add sour cream if desired.

I have also added corn and rice with great success. You could even add beans if you like them.

I am linking this recipe to Crock Pot Wednesdays which is hosted by Dining With Debbie. This is my first time joining this carnival.

I am also linking up to Made by you Mondays hosted by Skip to My Lou- they are sharing their best soup recipes. Check them out!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

One of my very favorite things to make and eat is the Coffee Cake that my mom and her mom made all through my growing up days. In fact, when my oldest son was born, my mom brought over 2 coffee cakes which my husband devoured. He still to relates the taste of this coffee cake with that very happy time. This recipe could not be easier or tastier. Enjoy!

Coffee Cake

1 package yellow cake mix

1 large package vanilla instant pudding

4 eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup sour milk (1 tsp. vinegar to 1 cup milk)

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tsp. cinnamon

Combine cake mix, pudding, eggs, oil and sour mix. Mix for 10 minutes (I use my Kitchen Aid). Pour into an ungreased angel tin. Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Pour over top of batter and swirl it into the batter with a butter knife. Bake for 1 hour at 350°.

See? Easy! After you bookmark this head over to Blessed With Grace who hosts Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays.

Monday, February 8, 2010

One of my very favorite things about being online is the ability to find awesome tutorials on great (frugal) gifts to make. I feel 1000 times better about giving something that I have made. It really makes me happy! I also LOVE to get handmade items as well. I followed this tutorial about how to make a Car Seat Canopy for an infant car seat, but I did make a few adjustments.

I made mine reversible, and I made a way to secure the ribbons on the underside so that the baby doesn't get tangled in them. I am excited at how this turned out, I will be making more in the future!

I am linking this up with A Soft Place to Land who hosts DIY day every Tuesday. I am excited to link up there for my first time!

Whew! What a week this past one was. Half of my family got a horrible stomach bug. So . . . need less to say there was not much cooking or following my menu plan last week. So most of it is being pushed to this week. Thankfully we are feeling much better and ready to tackle the new week! As always, this menu plan is linked up with OrgJunkiewho host Menu Plan Mondays. If you have not checked out all the great ideas, well, what are you waiting for?!?

Friday, February 5, 2010

My mother-in-law is one of those cooks who cook by feel. "A few shakes here, a little bit of that . . " Those terms pepper their cooking instructions. Bear with those in this recipe. It is truly a homey, comfort food type of dish. Perfect for a cold winter evening. It makes my honey very happy when he gets to eat his mom's recipes. This one is one of my favorites as well.

Stroganoff

1 pkg. Trimmed Stew meat

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Few Shakes Worcestershire sauce

Quite a few shakes Kikoman Terriyaki sauce

small container sour cream

1 Bag of Wide egg noodles

Coat meat with flour and brown in butter in large sauce pan. Add enough water to cover meat. Add all ingredients except sour cream and noodles. Simmer on top of stove with top slightly ajar for 3 hours. Add water if meat is not always covered. Keep at low boil. Strain liquid into smaller sauce pan and add sour cream and some flour. Keep on stirring. If sauce has any lumps in it, strain into meat. Otherwise just pour sauce over meat. In meantime, cook the noodles. Serve noodles under meat with sauce.

The Grocery Cart Challenge hosts a recipe swap every Friday here. Check out all the yummy eats !

Monday, February 1, 2010

#3 son turned 8 this past month and he wanted to have a birthday party. So the planning began. He finally after much pondering decided that a Mario Kart birthday would be perfect for him since he LOVES to play that video game. So I went off to the Party supply store to get a lay of the land so to speak and found nothing, nada, ZERO. My little inner craft girl was screaming, WE can do this!!! So I gave in and this is what the party looked like:

These were the invites that we made.

And this was the Birthday banner that I put together.

We made a starting line up using Twinkies and mini oreos. This was very cute!

We naturally had to have a race car coloring craft. I got these at Michael's and they were a huge hit!

We had a racing cake. Son #3 picked his favorite car to put on the cake.

We made treat bags for the kids. The boys had a great time and I think that the guests did as well!

I feel like it was just yesterday that I posted last week's menu and here I am again putting up another menu. I am thankful that this week will slow down a bit. Last week I made Spicy Pulled Pork from The Pioneer Woman cooks cookbook. That was Scrumptious! Seriously good and it made so much- we got several meals out of that recipe. We will be making that one again! If you have not looked through her recipe book and tried out those recipes, take a little bit of advice from me: BUY IT NOW!!!! EVERY recipe is awesome! I ♥ my Pioneer Woman cooks cookbook!

Ok, I will get back to the business at hand. Here is what we will be chowing down upon this week!

Sunday: Eat out at Qdoba

Monday: Chinese Chicken Invention- (stir fry all those pesky leftover veggies and chicken hanging around in the fridge!)